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[zhenming]

Anyone here can compare the Apogee Duet vs the One on playback sound quality alone? or at least break it down for me? Deciding which one to get for my mac..

 

[nitewulf]

See product -> (optional) read reviews in stereophile or on forums -> buy product -> evaluate, probably hear difference, regardless of reality

uh uh. everything in my system i auditioned w/o reading reviews.

the DAC/integrated amp was recommended, i went and listened to it. it had features that i needed.

i couldn't find most of the recommended speakers. so i went hunting. do you realize that difference exists within different price brackets in speakers? i bought the ones that sounded the best to me, within the budget i was willing to spend.

the speakers were too much of a load for the integrated amp, the amp overloaded and shut down if i turned up the volume high. so i went power amp hunting. again, bought the one that sounded the best to me.

there are other analogies i could use. photography is a hobby of mine as well. you sound like a guy who's bashing hobbyists for buying expensive pro quality lenses and DSLR bodies when photos could also be taken with a point and shoot. sure, both would in essence take pictures, and i guess if you psychologically train yourself, you might even make yourself believe that both devices will output the same quality photos. because after all, they do have same electronics.

 

[pj]

uh uh. everything in my system i auditioned w/o reading reviews.

Professional reviews don't mean anything other than some person whose livelihood depends on audio products selling, thinks an audio product is worth buying. Or in the case of forums, the person is like everyone else, and thinks it sounds better, regardless of reality..

Edit: I'm not calling into question the intents of anyone, I believe people believe they hear a difference. Given my experience and education with how the auditory system works, I just find a great deal of the claims to be dubious.

the DAC/integrated amp was recommended, i went and listened to it. it had features that i needed.

i couldn't find most of the recommended speakers. so i went hunting. do you realize that difference exists within different price brackets in speakers? i bought the ones that sounded the best to me, within the budget i was willing to spend.

the speakers were too much of a load for the integrated amp, the amp overloaded and shut down if i turned up the volume high. so i went power amp hunting. again, bought the one that sounded the best to me.

I realize differences exist in speakers, to a greater extent than other components, but those differences are mostly outweighed by expectations and environment. I also realize that there are situations like yours that require upgrading your amp. But do I think your $3000 or whatever McIntosh sounds appreciably better than a $500 amp that can properly power your speakers? Not so much.

there are other analogies i could use. photography is a hobby of mine as well. you sound like a guy who's bashing hobbyists for buying expensive pro quality lenses and DSLR bodies when photos could also be taken with a point and shoot. sure, both would in essence take pictures, and i guess if you psychologically train yourself, you might even make yourself believe that both devices will output the same quality photos. because after all, they do have same electronics.

That's completely different. You can look at two pictures practically simultaneously, and with magnification, you can see physical differences in the quality of pictures taken.

You can't listen to two different sets of speakers at the same time, and echoic memory is so short that I really doubt it's possible to detect the extremely subtle differences, many seconds or even minutes between hearing the same sound, that many claim to be able to hear.

 

[kevm3]

My experience with audio scene thus far? Just like in any field, you have to 'do your research'... and much of this research comes only with experience.

There IS a lot of snake oil in the audio business and audio products can have remarkably huge markups, especially when you see brand new speakers or headphones marked off for 50%. For example, the Denon D7000 headphones sell retail for about $1000 bucks. However, J&R music were selling them for $500 bucks new at one point. With the Harman Kardon receivers, I bought my HK3490 for $350 new on amazon. A couple of days later, the price jumped up to $450. However, if you look on Ebay, you can get a refurbished HK3490 from Harman Kardon which is also warrantied for under $200 if the bidding goes good. If you're patient, stop and take a look around at good prices, read rushing and are not above buying used, you can save a great deal of money.

When dealing with audio, the best way to go about it is experiencing things. I've used my ears to make a few calls... One being on the very controversial subject of whether interconnects/cabling make a difference in sound. Personally, I've found they can make a noticeable difference... and it's definitely not because I bought something expensive and am psychologically forcing myself to imagine a difference. I would simply sell the equipment that I didn't find to fit my purposes. For example, I recently sold off all of my headphones to focus solely on speakers. This includes a pair of HD600s with an equinox cable, an EF-1 headphone amp, and a pair of Grado SR80s. How did I learn headphones were not for me? Experience. The headphones went, but the interconnects stayed.

The most important thing you can do when dealing with audio is develop an ear for 'your sound'. I've found that I simply don't care for speakers or headphones that are too 'laid back' or smooth, hence the reason I listened to the Grado SR80s more than the Sennheiser HD600s, despite the Senns being 3 times as expensive. Laid-back sound always has me feeling like I want more from the recording and wishing that it was more engaing. I've found that I prefer my sound to be slightly aggressive, but not bright and harsh. Once you develop your 'baseline' preference for sound, dealing with audio equipment should be much easier. The only way to do this is to experience different equipment. Best choice would be to be able to walk in a store and to audition the equipoment, but that's not always possible. If not, read your reviews and buy a few cheaper models to start off and to determine whether this company has the sound characteristics you like, and if not, find out what you feel is missing and move on up from there.

In terms of blind jumps... I've taken many 'blind jumps,' but for the most part, they were based upon doing hours of research and seeing people's impressions of them. My latest speaker purchase, which I'm almost done paying off, was a bit of a blind jump. I recently bidded on a pair of Dali Mentor 2's. Initially I put in a bid for a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.3 MkII's which were selling for $950, but somebody got to those first. Then after searching around, I eventually ended up choosing the Dali's. I didn't have a personal chance to hear them, especially since I'm in a small town, but a few factors helped make my choice. For one, they were new and significantly discounted, meaning I could resell them for a decent amount if they weren't to my liking. Secondly, finding what information I could on them, they seemed to have the qualities that I enjoy in speakers, which is a lively and dynamic sound with great imaging.

With all of that said, I think it's most important for the new guys here to decide what they want. It's just like cars or any other hobbies. For some people, they just want a car that 'gets them where they need to go.' For others, they want the best performance and will pay premiums for what many would deem 'slight improvements'. If you're merely looking for something that sounds decent and 'gets you where you need to go' in terms of audio, I would avoid buying $300+ DACS and $400+ speakers. Energy RC10s hooked up to a decent used receiver off of ebay or some such site would be satisfying. As for me, I'm looking for realistic 3d sound that "makes the speakers disappear." We'll see if I get closer to that goal when the new speakers arrive... and as always I'll return with impressions.

After receiving my speakers, where do I go to next? Researching proper positioning and room treatment techniques.

 

[pj]

I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, I just want people to be more skeptical. It can only save you money.

If something has a good return policy and the return shipping isn't outrageous, there's no harm in trying it. However, I believe the psychological aspect of sound perception can't be ignored, and it really makes the ear alone an unreliable reporter. I also think people underestimate the ability of the ear to become accustomed to things. It's the main reason so many people get the "upgrade bug" after the novelty of their new toy wears off.

I'd really like to continue buying home theater crap but I'm at a wall where I can't justify anything to myself. About the only thing lacking is smooth subwoofer response, which I may alleviate with a second sub in the near future..

 

[Death Dealer]

Its a variety of things one of the most important being the analog output stage. The PS3 doesnt have the greatest analog output stage.

This is true. I read much about the PS3's audio capabilities when its SACD capabilities were being hyped. The designers put a lot of effort into making it sound good, but they admitted they mostly concentrated on the digital output. I can't blame them for omitting a nice analog output stage, given the expense of transparent analog components, and how few would use it.

Here's part of an interview with the engineers:

Question: Regarding sound. I think nobody expected the SACD function of the PS3 to be so complete.

Kanehide: We didn’t intend it to be such a featured function, but we decieded that it would be one of the things we concentrate initially to get a handle on the Cell processor. We were only able to do 24bit/88.2kHz degimation, but got it up to 24bit/176.4kHz. We worked the the department which makes Amps to really get a feel for how sound is processed. When SACD is playing, cell had nothing much to do. So we concentrated on how to use the cell to improve the quality of the sound further. The know how we got from the process for immense, although it took us away from the the realm of playstation and into the world of high end audio.

Question: Looking at the SACD playback, it seems emphasis was placed on sending PCM over HDMI more than the quality of the analog outputs.

Kanehide: The reason for that is simple. Although the analog output quality of the PS3 is very high, it really can’t win against AV amps costing thousands of dollars. Where we can compete in is the processing power of the Cell. So we concentrated of passing good PCM data to the amps through HDMI. PS3 cell processor is a lot better than the chips found in AV amps, so we figured we will do all the processing on the PS3, and pass the result to the amps, getting much higher quality. Of course, the only connection that can pass sound data at that quality turned out to be HDMI.

http://www.playstatic.com/news/570

SA-CD.net has a lot of good theads pertaining to the PS3's audio abilities as well. The PS3 makes a superb transport. The BD features, DVD upscaling and CD upsampling are great features, however the analog stereo is nothing exceptional. It was meant to be used with an HDMI switching receiver or high quality pre/pro solution.

 

[kevm3]

I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do, I just want people to be more skeptical. It can only save you money.

If something has a good return policy and the return shipping isn't outrageous, there's no harm in trying it. However, I believe the psychological aspect of sound perception can't be ignored, and it really makes the ear alone an unreliable reporter. I also think people underestimate the ability of the ear to become accustomed to things. It's the main reason so many people get the "upgrade bug" after the novelty of their new toy wears off.

I'd really like to continue buying home theater crap but I'm at a wall where I can't justify anything to myself. About the only thing lacking is smooth subwoofer response, which I may alleviate with a second sub in the near future..

It definitely pays to do a good deal of research and having some skepticism before purchasing... and for most people, something that delivers a pretty clear, decent sound is good enough, so expensive DACs and separates (preamp/amp vs. receiver) wouldn't be the way to go for them. I personally like to hear all of the details and have the speakers "disappear" so to say, so something that may be a huge jump for me may be something that's only decent to someone else. If you're at a point where you're satisfied with your sound, there's no real reason to put any money into the habit. That's what it ultimately comes down to... finding your 'groove' with equipment.

 

[Blackface]

polk....lol sorry

I guess you should post that on avforum where they were rated (tied) the best bookshelf speakers for $450 two years ago?

 

[nitewulf]

speaker disappearence doesn't have to be expensive. you need stand mount monitors, which by default have better imaging than floorstanders...than create a triangle with you at the vertex. even small monitors will disappear w/ the correct layout and toe-in...you just have to play around a lot. room treatment at that point is a lot more important a you dont want hard surfaces reflecting soundwaves all over the place.

however for that smooth liquidity, that hollow imaging, tube gear helps. its a lot other stuff too though, your recording should be acoustic and emphasize the mids. compressed rock, electro wont ever sound really good w/o tone controls. they are always pretty flat and dull. its jazz and other acoustic well recorded stuff that can linger around in the air, i found.

 

[Winged Creature]

I agree positioning and the room itself does affect sound alot. Personally i think that room treatments do work, but dont go out and buy them for hundreds of dollars when you can use stuff around the house to achieve similar results. The sound to bright or to much echoing, then add an area rug. If the sounds too dull, lacking hi fequencies, remove some drapes or curtains.

 

[nitewulf]

oh absolutely, i wouldnt add bass traps and other ugly stuff in my room. please, aesthetics are very important for me. im not an unsocial nutbag, i have friends are guests come over all the time. but area rugs, curtains, cleverly positioned paintings, etc.

 

[thefit]

I guess you should post that on avforum where they were rated (tied) the best bookshelf speakers for $450 two years ago?

Personal preference I suppose. I'll trust my ear before I trust avforums I supposed ultimately thats what it comes down too.

 

[Winged Creature]

Personal preference I suppose. I'll trust my ear before I trust avforums I supposed ultimately thats what it comes down too.

nothing wrong with polk, but like you I didnt like them

 

[theBishop]

There's nothing magic about "PC Speakers". If you want "Audiophile Quality", go out and buy some audiophile speakers. The only difference is you'll need an amplifier.

 

[thefit]

nothing wrong with polk, but like you I didnt like them

They wouldn't be my first choice I personally feel like they get a lot of hype and throwing out that price doesn't convince me anymore.

 

[Winged Creature]

There's nothing magic about "PC Speakers". If you want "Audiophile Quality", go out and buy some audiophile speakers. The only difference is you'll need an amplifier.

you didnt read the thread did you

 

[theBishop]

you didnt read the thread did you

11 Pages?! Please. :lol

 

[kevm3]

speaker disappearence doesn't have to be expensive. you need stand mount monitors, which by default have better imaging than floorstanders...than create a triangle with you at the vertex. even small monitors will disappear w/ the correct layout and toe-in...you just have to play around a lot. room treatment at that point is a lot more important a you dont want hard surfaces reflecting soundwaves all over the place.

however for that smooth liquidity, that hollow imaging, tube gear helps. its a lot other stuff too though, your recording should be acoustic and emphasize the mids. compressed rock, electro wont ever sound really good w/o tone controls. they are always pretty flat and dull. its jazz and other acoustic well recorded stuff that can linger around in the air, i found.

Appreciate the advice from you and wingcreature. A lot to still play around with and learn. I really wish I had more room to space out the speakers. I have a feeling that they're too close together and some of the sound is 'overlapping', creating a slight murkiness. I'll have to get stands down the line eventually and make sure I can get better separation between the speakers. I have the bass plugs put into the ports for now to improve the clarity a bit.

 

[nitewulf]

There's nothing magic about "PC Speakers". If you want "Audiophile Quality", go out and buy some audiophile speakers. The only difference is you'll need an amplifier.

welcome to the thread.

 

[Winged Creature]

So I finally ordered a Rotel pre-amp to go with my power amp. The cambridge integrated is either gonna be sold off or just used in a another system.

Here is the Pre-amp, it looks bad in the pic but in person i think its gorgeous

 

[Dice]

I wish I knew how the M200MkII compare to the new M200MkIII. If the major difference is volume then I'd rather not dish out the extra $150, but if it's a significant boost in sound quality I might consider it.

 

[Dice]

Okay I looked into it more and I discovered that the MkIIIs are internally biamplified. That alone would significantly increase the quality. I think I'll get these instead of something else I was considering for an all-audio solution to my smallish room.

 

[giga]

kevm3 you still want to sell those rc10s? They're actually 12lbs each speaker, so total probably around 25lbs. Shouldn't be more than $30 to ship UPS ground.

Currently debating between the PSB Alpha B1 and the RC 10. Soundstage did a good comparison between them, and it seems like it would be a good investment to go for the energy for ~$100 more: http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/psb_alpha_b1.htm

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Energy RC-10s, which are slightly bigger and about twice the price of the Alpha B1s -- $550 per pair. The absolute price difference is not much; in audiophile terms, it is less than the cost of the speaker wire I used for both reviews. However, in the context of a budget system, that difference could easily be put to use elsewhere. What do you get when you spend those extra $270?

First of all, the construction quality of the RC-10s is much better. The Alpha B1s are well made, but, at their price, you cannot expect the heavy cabinet and real-wood veneer of the RC-10. The RC-10s are also biwirable, although, at their price, it usually makes more sense to run a single good cable than two cheaper ones.

Sonically, the Alpha B1s are slightly warm, while the RC-10s are dead neutral. However, where the RC-10s really justify their higher price is in frequency extension. Their highs seem to extend a good bit beyond those of the Alpha B1s, even though the specifications don't indicate a difference. Those extended highs are also ultra smooth. The high frequencies of the Alpha B1s are smooth, but they are not as open and are slightly less delicate. The RC-10s also manage to convey quite a bit of depth information that the Alpha B1s do not.

At the other end, the RC-10s play lower than their smaller competitors. It's true that you could fill out the bottom end of the Alpha B1s with a subwoofer, but the cost of that sub would put you into the RC-10's price range and would not give you the more expensive speaker's other refinements. There are some installation situations in which a subwoofer is the only way to get low bass, but for most people a larger main speaker is preferable.

Having the added extension at both ends of the frequency spectrum not only produces greater timbral accuracy and more pounding bass, but it also conveys a better sense of the recorded ambience and the space around performers. For me, one of the advantages of SACD reproduction over that of standard Red Book CD is hearing that greater sense of space. That ambience is really what makes the difference between the sound of an acoustic instrument and a good synthesizer. With the Alpha B1s, I could not hear the differences between the SACD and Red Book layers of even well-recorded discs, such as Weingartner Symphony No. 4 [CPO 777 098-2], as easily as I could with the RC-10s. That sense of space is not essential to enjoying the music, but it is something that I value. The Alpha B1s tended to give the impression of live recordings having been made in a slightly drier hall than I heard with the RC-10s or with my own Amphion speakers. These details aren't on every recording, and they won't be reproduced by all equipment, but when they are there, the Energy RC-10s do a better job of telling you about them.

The PSB Alpha B1 seems to be the best value bookshelf for ~$200/pair. See the review above and another here: http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/507psb/

 

[Timedog]

speaker disappearence doesn't have to be expensive. you need stand mount monitors, which by default have better imaging than floorstanders...than create a triangle with you at the vertex. even small monitors will disappear w/ the correct layout and toe-in...you just have to play around a lot. room treatment at that point is a lot more important a you dont want hard surfaces reflecting soundwaves all over the place.

however for that smooth liquidity, that hollow imaging, tube gear helps. its a lot other stuff too though, your recording should be acoustic and emphasize the mids. compressed rock, electro wont ever sound really good w/o tone controls. they are always pretty flat and dull. its jazz and other acoustic well recorded stuff that can linger around in the air, i found.

The biggest acoustic problems you're most likely going to have are in the low frequencies, and area rugs and paintings are going to do exactly nil against that stuff. Acoustics are as important as any gear.

 

[kevm3]

kevm3 you still want to sell those rc10s? They're actually 12lbs each speaker, so total probably around 25lbs. Shouldn't be more than $30 to ship UPS ground.

Currently debating between the PSB Alpha B1 and the RC 10. Soundstage did a good comparison between them, and it seems like it would be a good investment to go for the energy for ~$100 more: http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/psb_alpha_b1.htm



The PSB Alpha B1 seems to be the best value bookshelf for ~$200/pair. See the review above and another here: http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/507psb/

They're actually 27 lbs each lol. You were right the first time. Looks like it'll cost around $35 bucks to get it shipped. I'll take it to the post office to make sure. If it's around $30, I'll ship them out. What zip code would I be shipping to?

 

[giga]

YGPM.

 

[Dice]

How would a Fubar IV Special Edition and Musical Fidelity V-DAC compare to each other? I'm slanted to the Fubar because it has a headphone out, but mostly I need something that I can feed both my PS3 and PC into. Does either one have the ability to switch between them without unplugging one?

 

[Winged Creature]

How would a Fubar IV Special Edition and Musical Fidelity V-DAC compare to each other? I'm slanted to the Fubar because it has a headphone out, but mostly I need something that I can feed both my PS3 and PC into. Does either one have the ability to switch between them without unplugging one?

I would go with the musical fidelity, unless u absolutely need a headphone amp. The musical fidelity is a very nice dac.

The V-dac can switch between inputs with out unplugging, you just need to put ur pc into the USB and your PS3 into the optical, then you just switch the source by pressing the button.

 

[Winged Creature]

kevm3 you still want to sell those rc10s? They're actually 12lbs each speaker, so total probably around 25lbs. Shouldn't be more than $30 to ship UPS ground.

Currently debating between the PSB Alpha B1 and the RC 10. Soundstage did a good comparison between them, and it seems like it would be a good investment to go for the energy for ~$100 more: http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/psb_alpha_b1.htm



The PSB Alpha B1 seems to be the best value bookshelf for ~$200/pair. See the review above and another here: http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/507psb/

I have heard the PSB alpha B1 and and teh PSB Image B15 and B25. The RC10 are better then them all, with maybe the exception of the B25, that is more subjective. RC-10 is a much more detailed speaker then the alpha b1, the b1s are very budget oriented. The RC-10 was originally supposed to be the step above the entry level speaker, but now its priced at an entry level price.

 

[kevm3]

If you're looking for a very nice receiver to pair with your equipment, you better hurry up and bid on this HK3490. It's a refurbished unit with warranty being sold from Harman Kardon and you can probably get it for under $200. I bought mine new for $350 and it's selling on amazon.com right now for $450.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Harman-Kardon-3...ItemQQptZReceivers_Tuners?hash=item5ad568cb98

 

[nitewulf]

The biggest acoustic problems you're most likely going to have are in the low frequencies, and area rugs and paintings are going to do exactly nil against that stuff. Acoustics are as important as any gear.

that would be true for small rooms. my room is medium sized for a urban area. my speakers are the perfect size for my room, i'd hit a ceiling if i go for a large floorstander, which WILL overpower my room. but my room has a lot of hard, reflexive surfaces, so the high frequencies are more of a problem for me. bass is fine, not ultra low, by virtue of my monitor speakers. eventually i'll upgrade to full range speakers that'll fit my room acoustically.

 

[Winged Creature]

Bass is not really a problem in my room either, its high frequencies the room size, i dont have enough space in my room to let the soundstage really open up and to hear real depth. Im probably gonna have to move my setup to a bigger room.

 

[Raistlin]

So I finally ordered a Rotel pre-amp to go with my power amp. The cambridge integrated is either gonna be sold off or just used in a another system.

Here is the Pre-amp, it looks bad in the pic but in person i think its gorgeous

Damn :\

While it still looks better than most companies' gear ... wtf Rotel? I expect better aesthetics from you!


Did half the design team leave for Emotiva or something

 

[Winged Creature]

It looks alot better in person, some prefer the silver

 

[Raistlin]

Don't misunderstand, I think it's certainly well above what the vast majority of CE's put out ... just not sure I'm feeling it compared to some of their previous works.

The two-tone look they had going for a while is one of my favorite CE designs. Looked incredibly 'rich', but still maintained an elegant aesthetic. I can't think of anyone in the price-range that put out designs at that level. You had to hit some of the real esoteric stuff to find peers imo.

I especially love their amps with the exposed heat sinks. Fucking hot!

 

[Winged Creature]

Funny I actually like the looks of the current rotel gear as opposed to the 10 series with all the heat sinks. There both nice looking i just prefer the current line, I guess it has to be seen in person to be really appreciated or just personal preference.

 

[Alucrid]

I failed audiophile gaf and went with the easy option, the Swan M10s. Anyways, now I'm buying some cables and what not to hook it up to everything from monoprice. Am I crazy, or was their shipping supposed to be free?

 

[Darkatomz]

It's not free, never was.

I just got my Swan M200MKII's earlier this week, and I ordered some banana plugs and other goodies from Monoprice myself I'll get a pic up later if I can. They're awesome, but I'm thinking I need a new sound card soon now.

 

[nitewulf]

it also depends on your room size and your listening preferences guys, if you are using 128kbps mp3s as source, and only for near field desktop listening, you dont need very high grade stuff. at that point, hi-fi speakers wont make the low quality mp3s sound any better or anything. not to mention everyone has to start somewhere.

winged_creature, how are those B&Ws sounding?

 

[Alucrid]

It's not free, never was.

I just got my Swan M200MKII's earlier this week, and I ordered some banana plugs and other goodies from Monoprice myself I'll get a pic up later if I can. They're awesome, but I'm thinking I need a new sound card soon now.

Ok, I guess I was just going crazy.

 

[zhenming]

I failed audiophile gaf and went with the easy option, the Swan M10s. Anyways, now I'm buying some cables and what not to hook it up to everything from monoprice. Am I crazy, or was their shipping supposed to be free?

nothing wrong with m10s, very capable speakers for cheap and monoprice was never free ship. and i dont think cables will help much, since all you can change is the interconnect and not the speaker cables because they are attached to the speakers themselves...

 

[Alucrid]

nothing wrong with m10s, very capable speakers for cheap and monoprice was never free ship. and i dont think cables will help much, since all you can change is the interconnect and not the speaker cables because they are attached to the speakers themselves...

Oh, no, I just needed wires to hook up my turntable so just 2RCA to 3.5mm and some extension 3.5mm cords. Also, I think last time I just ordered a few cables so the shipping was negligent, but now I needed 50ft ethernet cord, so that bumped up the shipping a bit.

 

[Winged Creature]

it also depends on your room size and your listening preferences guys, if you are using 128kbps mp3s as source, and only for near field desktop listening, you dont need very high grade stuff. at that point, hi-fi speakers wont make the low quality mp3s sound any better or anything. not to mention everyone has to start somewhere.

winged_creature, how are those B&Ws sounding?

The B&W's have about 100 hours (B&W's dont need as much break in as dynaudios) and they sound fantastic, huge soundstage, great depth and imaging, ultra smooth highs, rich mids and a nice bottom end. Overall im very satisfied these speakers are better then anything ive ever owned before. Im still awaiting my pre-amp, till that gets here i cant listen to any vinyl

 

[kevm3]

Dali Mentor 2 arrived today... Wow, these things are huge! Each one is about the size of my computer. I had no idea they'd be this big.

Still giving these break-in. Supposedly, they take a ton of break-in and I can already tell because they're sounding a lot better than they did when I first got them. Sound so far? Effortless. Tons of details without even trying. Very much enjoying these. I'll give more impressions as they get more burn-in time.

 

[Davidion]

It's not free, never was.

I just got my Swan M200MKII's earlier this week, and I ordered some banana plugs and other goodies from Monoprice myself I'll get a pic up later if I can. They're awesome, but I'm thinking I need a new sound card soon now.

Or you can also get a DAC if your sound card supports optical out.

 

[nitewulf]

might as well ask suggestions for turntables in this thread, as i'm looking to get into analog. what models should i be looking at within the $1000+ range?

 

[Raistlin]

might as well ask suggestions for turntables in this thread, as i'm looking to get into analog. what models should i be looking at within the $1000+ range?

You're asking about phonographs in a PC audio thread? Really?
Really?



My recommendation for some quality entry-level players



Some GAF threads:

* Stuck in the Past - a 33 RPM thread for vinyl listeners and collectors

* High end audiophiles...ugg

* Looking to buy a new turntable, but at a decent price. Suggestions?

* Anyone notice this sort of vinyl "resurgance" that's going on lately?

 

[nitewulf]

You're asking about phonographs in a PC audio thread? Really?
Really?

yeah i know, but this thread has evolved into a hi-fi stereo thread anyway. thanx for the links, i'll check those threads.

 

[Winged Creature]

might as well ask suggestions for turntables in this thread, as i'm looking to get into analog. what models should i be looking at within the $1000+ range?

whats your budget? remember to factor in cart and phono stage.

 

[nitewulf]

for the TT itself, around $1000, if i buy used from agon, some will include the cartridge. as for the phono stage, do i need one, or can i use my pre-amp? if i do need one, i'd like to buy a tube phono stage, money not so much of an issue if the quality is high.